Germany travel guides

May to June and September to October offer mild weather and fewer crowds in Berlin, while Munich is at its best April to October during beer garden season. Oktoberfest, the world's largest beer festival, runs for 16 days in September and October and requires booking well ahead. In the Bavarian Alps, the skydiving and summer adventure season runs June to October, and December brings Christmas markets nationwide.

Germany's adventure headline is the Bavarian Alps around Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where tandem skydives from 13,000 feet overlook Zugspitze, the country's highest mountain at 2,962 meters, and the crystal-clear Eibsee lake. The cities add a different kind of depth: Berlin's Cold War history spans the East Side Gallery, Berlin Wall Memorial, and over 170 museums, while Munich pairs beer halls like the Hofbrauhaus with the English Garden, one of Europe's largest urban parks.

Plan 4-5 days each for Munich and Berlin. Munich is the natural gateway to the Bavarian Alps, with Garmisch-Partenkirchen about 1.5 hours away by train and Neuschwanstein Castle around 2 hours. Cross-border day trips are easy too, with Salzburg in Austria about 1.5 hours from Munich by train, and Potsdam or Dresden reachable from Berlin in 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Both Munich and Berlin run extensive U-Bahn and S-Bahn networks supplemented by trams and buses, with single rides around 2.90 euros and day tickets about 8.80 euros. Tickets must be validated before travel, and city centers are flat and very walkable. Intercity and regional trains connect the major cities and the Alps, so a car is rarely necessary for the main routes.

Germany's cities are very safe, with professional police, excellent healthcare, and tap water that is safe to drink. Practical quirks matter more than risks: cash is still preferred in many places including beer gardens, most shops close on Sundays, and pickpocketing is possible in busy tourist areas. The Europe-wide emergency number is 112.